How do you heal an ankle injury?
Ankle injuries can arise from damage to the bones, ligaments, and tendons in the ankle, causing pain, swelling, decreased mobility, and instability
Most ankle injuries are caused by rolling or landing awkwardly on the ankle while walking or playing sports. To treat an ankle injury, we focus on early management of swelling, mobility, strength and balance training. Most athletes will return to sport in 3 to 4 weeks after a simple strain, however we know it requires 6-8 weeks for the body to fully heal a ligament. We often recommend athletes tape their ankles for few weeks upon returning to sport.
What are the signs of an ankle injury?
Ankle injuries occur when the bones, ligaments, or tendons in the ankle are damaged. Most ankle injuries are sprains or fractures.
Some of the most common signs of an ankle injury are:
- Pain, swelling, bruising to one or both sides of the ankle
- Decreased mobility and difficulty weight bearing and walking
What are the most common causes of ankle injuries?
Ankle injuries are often thought of as sports injuries, but they can happen to anyone. In fact, the majority of ankle injuries occur from twisting or rolling the ankle when walking.
Ankle injuries are most commonly caused by:
- Rolling or landing awkwardly on the ankle during sport
- Walking on uneven surfaces
- Falls that cause the ankle to twist
How do you heal ankle injuries?
At the Bridge, we treat ankle injuries with a personalized treatment plan based on the type and severity of ankle injury.
Our treatment plans for ankle injuries include:
- Managing swelling with modalities such as the Game Ready cold and compression machine as well as taping the ankle in the first 24-48 hours.
- Early mobility and strengthening exercises
- Balance, and movement mechanics re-training
How do you prevent ankle injuries from occurring?
The best way to reduce the risk of injuring your ankle injuries is to increase the strength and stability of your ankles with a preventative exercise training program. This is especially important if you have sprained your ankle more than once.
Athletes should do a proper warm-up with exercises to activate the muscles supporting the ankle before playing sports to help prevent injuries from occurring.
Wearing proper shoes for sports or even when walking outdoors or on uneven terrain is another way to reduce the risk of injuring your ankles.
If you have had an ankle injury in the past, you are much more likely to injure your ankle again. For chronic ankle issues, we recommend using a brace or other aid to protect the ankle from further damage.
The Bridge model consists of three pillars
Relieve pain
Injury treatment and management to relieve pain, including physiotherapy, massage and chiropractic treatment.
get stronger
We introduce strength and mobility exercises to build tolerance to the demands of your activity and to develop more efficient movement patterns, making sure you don’t get hurt again.
improve performance
Performance or return to sport training: Is the last part of our model and reserved for those needing to return to a competitive sport or wanting to train at a higher level.
Contact us today and learn how our team can help you build a recovery plan, in person or virtually.
Book an in-person appointment
Book a session at one of our three locations in Edmonton and Sherwood Park.
